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It is with sorrow that our family reports to you that Ronald Arthur Pinkham has gone home to be with the Lord. He was able to come home from the hospital yesterday afternoon but this morning suffered a heart attack. He is now with his Savior who loved him, saved him, and called him to be a minister of the gospel. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15

He loved writing this blog and helping all of you on your faith journey. He desired for you to know Jesus more and dig deeper in the Word. This blog, and your walk with God through it, kept him going each and every day. This was a blessing for him to serve you. He loved you all.

We do not yet have any information on any of the arrangements for the funeral service. We will let you know as soon as those details have been arranged.

Hope was lost; anticipations were crushed, disappointment reigned! All that those early disciples were expecting “went up in smoke.” The One Who was to bring about Israel’s restoration and the downfall of Rome’s rule was dead. They left everything and followed Him for those few very short years. It was a tremendous experience! He was the deliverer they believed would lead them in His kingdom. Now, they were forsaken! Or, were they? They could no longer see Him, touch Him, listen to Him or watch Him in action. Many today feel that way. They have assumed that He was just a great teacher, leader, moralist, example, but just a historical person. No real help today! But He wasn’t through with His disciples and He’s not through with us today. He was the Son of God and God the Son then, now and forever! He has had a plan from eternity past, through time, all the way into eternity future. Even though they felt abandoned and even if His own feel that way today, He hasn’t left those who are His! II Corinthians 5:7 explains: “(For we walk by faith, not by sight).” While this was much more difficult for those discouraged disciples for a short period of time, we look back and have learned what happened. They would soon learn what we know by faith today. Jesus Never Fails! Arthur A. Luther understood. In his hymn, “Jesus Never Fails,” he gives us two stanzas to keep in mind when all appears hopeless: “Tho the sky be dark and drear, fierce and strong the gale, just remember He is near and He will not fail. In life’s dark and bitter hour love will still prevail; trust His everlasting pow’r—Jesus will not fail! Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails; Heav’n and earth may pass away, but Jesus Never Fails!” Selah! For the child of God, life’s trials are only operative in the context of His victory! They are temporary; His victory is forever! Ron

From the moment He left Heaven and all through His few short years on earth, He knew what was to come. He was born to die! “….the Son of man came………to give His life a ransom for many.” (From Matthew 20:28). And He did! After horrible suffering, insults, taunts, pain, wounds, being despised and rejected, He was NAILED to that old rugged cross. The forces of evil undoubtedly assumed they had scored a major victory. How completely did they fail to realize that this was their moment of guaranteed defeat. This was the time in history that sealed their doom! As horrible as what Jesus suffered in those hours before His death, it pales in comparison to the worst horror of all! Jesus, the perfect Son of God bore, in His death, all the filth, corruption, pollution, etc. of human sin(s) and degradation. He bore the wrath of the Father against that wickedness! He paid for our crimes! He paid the full penalty due our evil! The glory of His accomplishments is freely bestowed on all who bow to and receive Him as Lord and Savior. This was and is the greatest time in human history. This death was a “line in the sand” dividing all humankind into two groups: those who have or will bow at the cross and those who will not. Which side of that “line” are you on? Heaven and Hell await your choice! Oh! What wonder those who choose Him experience! In his hymn, “Down at the Cross”-By E. A. Hoffmann, we are given a musical expression of this wonder: “Down at the cross where my Savior died, down where for cleansing from sin I cried, there to my heart was the blood applied; singin’, Glory to His name! I am so wondrously saved from sin, Jesus so sweetly abides within; there at the cross where He took me in; singin’, Glory to His name! Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin, I am so glad I have entered in; there Jesus saves me and keeps me clean; singin’, Glory to His name! Come to this fountain so rich and sweet, cast thy poor soul at the Savior’s feet; plunge in today, and be made complete; singin’, Glory to His name! Glory to His name! Glory to His name! There to my heart was the blood applied; singin’, Glory to His name!” Selah! If you truly know Him, you have made the wisest of all choices; if you don’t know Him, come to Him while there is still time to choose. That time could disappear in seconds! Ron

Questions? E-Mail me at knowingtheway1@gmail.com

It was a solemn time for Jesus’ disciples. They must have sensed the seriousness of those few days. How much they grasped of the soon coming murder of Jesus is uncertain. It seemed like they didn’t “get it.” Perhaps they were so wrapped up in their expectations that it hadn’t really “sunk in.” Their time with Him as they had been following Him was almost over. BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE! He was preparing them for it. However, they were far from truly ready. The next few weeks were mind boggling. They ran the gamut from despair to delight. Whatever else that we can draw from this, one lesson should impact us today. No matter how dark and dire our days may be, even when it may look like we have lost Jesus’ Presence, He is there and He is working out His plans and His purpose for us. He can be ignored, insulted, rejected, opposed, etc. He can’t be defeated! Those who are His, who have trusted in Him as Lord and Savior, are on “the winning side,” forever! Remember these inspired words in II Corinthians 4:6 apply to us today: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to (give) the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”“Sometimes our skies are cloudy and dreary, sometimes our hearts are burdened with care; but we may know, whate’er may befall us, Jesus is always there. When in the midst of life with its problems, bent with our toil and burdens we bear; wonderful thought and deep consolation: Jesus is always there. When we are walking thru the green pastures, or over mountains rugged and bare; precious the thought and sweet the assurance, Jesus is always there. Never a burden that He doth not carry, never a sorrow that He doth not share; whether the days may be sunny or dreary, Jesus is always there.” (From: “Jesus Is Always There”-By Bertha Mae Lillenas). Selah! Even as those first disciples faced dark hours, Jesus was there; when all looked hopeless, Jesus was there; Even when we can’t see Him or touch Him, He’s there! Even now, after He returned to Heaven, His Presence is still here with His own! Hallelujah!Ron

Make some time to read and think on all that Jesus went through in this final week on His earth mission. Then, ask yourself this question: “What if that was me?” Do we, could we, would we, ever love anyone that much? If He’d not endured it, what would that mean to us? Meditate on where that would leave us. If you are reading this and have never turned to the One Who loved you enough to go through that for you, how could you reject such love as His for you? Respond with love and deep gratitude. Receive Him as your Savior and Lord. It cost Him more than we could ever comprehend to make it possible for us to receive His saving grace and mercy and know Him in a wonderful and personal relationship. And, if we do know Him, how can we not respond with overwhelming love and gratitude and let Him use, guide and direct our lives for His marvelous glory? Can we not lovingly determine that which Paul, in Philippians 1:20-21, tells us his determination was? He declared, “….Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether (it be) by life, or by death. For to me to live (is) Christ, and to die (is) gain.” Although I’ve used this hymn before, it’sa very timely reminder to all who know Him and those who will respond to His love for them: “When on the cross those cruel nails gave me a Christ Who never fails, and from His wounds there came a flow that saves from sin——How much I owe! How much I owe for love divine! How much I owe that Christ is mine! But what He did for me I know, I cannot tell how much I owe! (“How Much I Owe”-By T. P. Hamilton). Selah! “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, (which is) your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). Let us do this! Ron

How would you feel, if you only had one week to live? What would it be like to actually die? What about after you die? Where would you be? When fears enter your thoughts, when doubts trouble you, it can leave you shaken and feeling hopeless. Only one week to get ready before it’s too late. Death is a scary thing to contemplate, unless you know the One Who has conquered death. If He is your Lord and Savior, death is the gate to His Presence forever! What a future to be with Him forever! Jesus reached this point in His Life when He only had one week left here on earth. What He faced would dwarf our worst thoughts by comparison. He had to be mocked, rejected, denied, insulted, bear awful suffering, be nailed to a wooden cross to hang there in the heat, and finally die. But, as inexpressibly horrible as it was, all that is not the worst part. The worst part is that the Holy, perfect, spotless Son of God had to bear the entire sin debt of the whole world for all of time, in our place. This brings full cleansing and forgiveness to all who come to Him and receive Him, who trust Him as Savior and Lord and receive the benefits of His atoning blood. Why did He go through it? Why would He allow such horrendous atrocities? He loved us, and bore it all so we wouldn’t have to bear it. And, He did it for the glory of God. Romans 5:8 tells us that: “….God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Think on this question that is found in Robert Harkness’ hymn, “Why Should He Love Me So? This is how he put it: “Love sent my Savior to die in my stead. Why should He love me so? Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led. Why should He love me so? Nails pierced His hands and His feet for my sin. Why should He love me so? He suffered sore my salvation to win. Why should He love me so? O how He agonized there in my place! Why should He love me so? Nothing withholding my sin to efface. Why should He love me so? Why should He love me so? Why should He love me so? Why should my Savior to Calvary go? Why should He love me so? Selah! There’s no explaining love like this. God loves! Our part is to love Him and trust Him with our hearts and lives and learn to love Him better every day! Ron

I never knew she was like that or that he was like that. I guess I never really knew him or her like I thought I did. When you say something like that or hear someone else say that, it often means that we are disappointed or pleasantly surprised. This realization underscores the importance of taking time to truly know what a person is like, how they live, think and respond. It is vastly more important to get to know God and His ways, thoughts and responses. We can learn a lot ABOUT God in the Bible. However, we can’t really know Him until we enter into a personal relationship with Him. When we come to Jesus, embracing Him as our Lord and Savior, we begin a lifetime process of finding out what He is actually like. At this point, a serious mistake can be made. We can learn about His works but never learn about His ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us of this: “For My thoughts (are) not your thoughts, neither (are) your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” How do His children come to know His thoughts and ways? There is no shortcut! Time spent watching Him, listening to Him, following His teaching, counsel and guidance, and observing Him carefully will enable us to know Him intimately. This is only possible to those who are His. Prayerful and thoughtful time that His own spend in the Word of God will reveal more and more of His thoughts and ways. As we do this, trust, love and obedience will follow, as will wonderful blessings! “I know on Whom my faith is fixed, I know in Whom I trust; I know that Christ abides in me, and all His ways are just. Let scoffers scoff, let scorners sneer, my heart is full of peace; they cannot take the joy I feel, nor make my hope to cease. They cannot quench the fire of love, that burns within my breast; nor break that tender fellowship that makes my life so blest. They cannot bring again the sins, the blood has washed away; nor make my heart like stone once more, nor turn to night my day. I know God is, I know His Word unfailing meets each test; I calmly face a hostile world with soul and mind at rest. I know on Whom my faith is fixed, His mercy has set me free; I know that He will safely keep, and His love is sweet to me.” (“I Know”-By Charles W. Naylor). Selah! Salvation makes us God’s children; the Scriptures reveal His character, love, thoughts and ways. Observe, trust, love and obey. You’ll be blessed! Ron